Civics China continues to harvest Intel from "our" post.

Current CHICOM force structure - with numbers of ship, aircraft etc.
2019 China Military Strength

 

Let's keep sending them all our money so they can get better...

Carriers are great at projecting power, but with today's tech nothing can hide for long. IMO during open warfare a carrier would have a short lifetime if any of the real powers are on the other side.

 

I don't think it's a matter of hiding. Defense is the name of that game. CYA with CAP until you are in range, then make the strike opportunity count. (Teddy gets credit for that, and so does Sun Tsu.)